dictate
13
5.7
- noun
- /ˈdɪkˌteɪt/
- Thus, more social forces came to affect village life beyond the dictates of the government.
- follow the dictates
- dictates of conscience
- dictates of reason
Examples
-
According to the dictates of my conscience.
-
You must follow your own dictates, Doctor.
-
Parents are not victims, forced to accept the dictates of the school.
Academic text (1994) -
Yes, the supreme court said we can worship god according to the dictates of our own conscience.
-
I so admire a man not hidebound by the dictates of fashion.
-
Constituent compliance with the dictates of a policy is the determinant of its success or failure.
Academic text (1994) -
Some of the dictates included, "Respect for parents, the moral code, and for honorable behavior shall be fostered."
Academic text (2013) -
The committee established a set of dictates that all members must adhere to.
-
In many cultures, there are dictates about how to show respect to elders.
-
The teacher issued dictates for how the group project should be completed.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
An instruction or law that tells people what to do
∞
3.0
An instruction from someone in power that must be followed
180
2.0
An official instruction telling someone what to do
141
6.7
An important rule given by a religious or moral leader
34
8.5
An official order that a government or person in power gives
1
4.8
An order given by a person in authority
1
9.4
A strict order given by people in power without asking others
An official rule that people must follow
A formal order from an official used in law or religion
Antonyms
How Binding
Surface Forms
Morphology
dictate = dict + ate
The segment 'dict' is a Latin combining form (not a standalone English word) and '-ate' is a Latinate verb-forming suffix; learners cannot reliably derive the noun sense 'a rule/command' from knowledge of independent English base words.
Etymology
Dictate comes from the Latin root dict-, from dicere, which means 'to say'. A 'dictate' was originally something 'said' by a leader or an expert, so the noun now means a rule or command to be followed.